Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Anthurium andreanum cultivar Tender Love.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium andreanum, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Tender Lovexe2x80x99.
The new Anthurium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Schipluiden, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact, freely clumping and freely flowering Anthurium cultivars with strong roots, dark green leaves, attractive spathe color, and good inflorescence longevity.
The new Anthurium originated from a cross by the Inventor on Jan. 6, 1998 of a proprietary selection of Anthurium andreanum identified as code number 9608, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Anthurium andreanum identified as code number 9715, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Tender Love was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Schipluiden, The Netherlands in 1999.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by meristem culture in a laboratory in Belgium since November, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Anthurium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
The new Anthurium has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the cultivar Tender Love. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Tender Lovexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely clumping growth habit.
3. Durable dark green leaves.
4. Dark pink and green bi-colored spathes with light orange-colored spadices that are positioned above and beyond the foliage on strong and erect scapes.
5. Freely flowering habit.
6. Good inflorescence longevity.
Plants of the new Anthurium can be compared to plants of the female parent, the proprietary selection identified as code number 9608. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differed from plants of the selection 9608 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Anthurium were bushier than plants of the selection 9608.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Anthurium were larger than and not as hard as leaves of plants of the selection 9608.
Plants of the new Anthurium can be compared to plants of the male parent, the selection 9715. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differed from plants of the selection 9715 in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Anthurium were stronger than leaves of plants of the selection 9715.
2. Plants of the new Anthurium had dark pink and green bi-colored spathes whereas plants of the selection 9715 had white, red and green tri-colored spathes.
Plants of the new Anthunium differ primarily from plants of the cultivar 1999-22, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/377,497 filed concurrently, in spathe and spadix coloration.
Plants of the new Anthurium can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Sugar Love, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,998. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differed from plants of the cultivar Sugar Love in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Anthurium grew faster than plants of the cultivar Sugar Love.
2. Plants of the new Anthurium were not as bushy as plants of the cultivar Sugar Love.
3. Leaves of plants of the new Anthurium were darker green in color than leaves of plants of the cultivar Sugar Love.
4. Spathes of plants of the new Anthurium were darker pink in color than spathes of plants of the cultivar Sugar Love.